Christmas Day

Christmas this year was magical. Both Ethan and Ellie were really excited for everything Christmas related and that excitement was so much fun to watch. I just wish I could freeze them at the ages they are right now. They are so much fun. 

We got back home super late after the Smith Christmas Eve program but these exhausted kiddos were not about to go to bed without leaving Santa and his reindeer some treats! 

Mason was very upset he couldn't have any of Santa's cookies.

Poor Ethan woke up about 2 hours earlier than everyone else but was such a good boy to play with the toys in the loft while the rest of us lazy and exhausted people slept in. 

He was pretty stoked to see the Santa had left him a cool red bike!

For the past 2 years he's been riding around a purpleish bike (I totally thought it was blue when I bought it off craigslist!) and he's been too tall for it for about a year now. 

The time had come for a new bike.

Mason was thrilled to see that Santa left him some cookie crumbs to eat. 

He was also pretty darn excited to see a banana in his stocking. Christmas for him could've ended right there :) 

Santa left him a lawnmower and he helps daddy mow the yard any chance he can get!

Ethan was most excited about some Skylantern figurines we bought him. I guess they are the new boy craze? We don't even have a Wii to use them but he was still super excited nontheless!

Ellie got some barbie dolls, a Dora dollhouse and a sweet note from Santa explaining that he had to take the princess bike that he was going to give her, back to the North Pole. A silly elf had forgotten to put one of the pedals on! (That's what we get for assembling the bike at 11pm that night!) He told her to look every morning by the tree because once the elves fix the bike, he will deliver it to her. I don't have a picture of her new bike yet but Santa delivered it and she LOVES it! 

It's adorable and it's complete with pink streamers, a basket and no training wheels. She rides that thing like a pro. Thank you balance bikes!

Later that morning we went over to the Smith's and all got thoroughly spoiled! They were so kind and generous to us, as always. They bought me T25 and my excitement was comparable to a kid in a candy store able to get anything he wants. Pretty sure my family thinks I'm a little weird to be so excited about something like that :)

That afternoon, we had a yummy lunch/dinner with Great Gma & Gpa Chapman.  

After a that good of a meal, I'm pretty sure everyone just wanted to do this....

Christmas sure is a lot of work but with all the hustle and bustle of the season, but  I look forward to using that time to remind our children the true meaning of Christmas. That of course is our Savior. His birth, His life, and His sacrifice. I'm so glad that we have a better reason to celebrate Christmas rather than just the presents and food. I'm so grateful that our children have the opportunity to learn the true meaning of Christmas. 

We truly have so much to be grateful for.